The Original Mama’s Pizza – Sinking Spring

There are a lot of Mama’s making pizzas around Berks County. There’s Mama’s Pizza and Grill, which operates three locations (Kenhorst, Temple and Rockland St.); Mamma’s Delight in Kutztown; Mama Maria’s in Boyertown; and the former Mamma B’s that recently closed along Pricetown Rd.

Then there is The Original Mama’s Pizza, which operates locations in Sinking Spring and Wyomissing. We wanted to visit the “original” Original Mama’s so we took the short drive down Rte. 724 to the Spring Towne Center.

Local pride is on full display as soon as you walk inside. In addition to the framed photos from the Philadelphia Phillies glory years, the wall bears certificates from the National Night Out and Spring Township’s Parks and Rec. The most impressive piece is the large “thank you” note in the corner, written on oversized paper in a young child’s handwriting.

We placed our order at the counter and took a seat by the front window. I already knew Mama’s had a loyal following — it’s what helped earn them a Reading Eagle Reader’s Choice Award in 2014 — and it was clearly on display with the endless stream of customers coming through while we waited for our pizza to arrive. It made me even more excited for the slices that were on their way.

I never get just a single slice of pizza anymore. There is nothing less appetizing than dried-out pies sitting behind glass waiting to be thrown into the oven to reheat.

Yet I found myself looking through three shelves of slices at Mama’s, searching for one to call dinner.

One that looked (and sounded) more appetizing than the rest was the Quatro Gusti. Literally translated “four flavors,” it was built with sausage, ricotta and grilled onions, but I would hesitate to call them toppings.

Sure there were some onions and sausage pieces scattered on top, but most of the goodness was underneath the filmy layer of cheese. That’s where the ricotta was packed in, as well as hearty chunks of sausage and sweet onion slivers.

While the top layer looked tired, it was fresh as could be underneath with ingredients that blended perfectly together.

Julie went with another stuffed pizza that was a daily special. It was described as spicy chicken balsamic with bacon, but the description was a little deceiving.

We never tasted any balsamic, nor was it very spicy. There was plenty of chicken and more than enough bacon. That’s not to say it wasn’t good. It was. It was also very filling to the point where Julie couldn’t finish the braided crust.

Normally one slice of any pizza, regardless of how big, is not enough to fill me. That’s why I insisted on also getting a pair of pepperoni sticks.

In the end, we probably didn’t need them, but they were still very good. They looked like extra long breadsticks when they were sitting in the case, but were broken in half before being served with a side of marinara dipping sauce (a side of sauce was also served with both of our slices of pizza, but neither of those needed it).

The pepperoni sticks tasted as good as they looked, with a nice amount of garlic, Parmesan and herbs to go with the cheesy, meaty filling.

Along with our two bottles of iced tea, our bill came to just under $20.00. At first, this sounds like a lot, but not when you consider that neither one of us had any room left when we were finished. (At lunchtime you can get a real bargain with a stuffed slice and fountain soda for $5.25).

The name “The Original Mama’s Pizza” doesn’t mean that it was the first to use the name. It’s just a way to distinguish it from the rest.

But what really sets The Original Mama’s Pizza apart from the other Mama’s in Berks County is the pizza. That’s what keeps everyone coming back.